Andrew Luck has thrown for 1,346 yards and seven touchdowns this season with the Colts. / Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports

by Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY Sports

by Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY Sports

Someone asked Andrew Luck, the Next-Generation Great Franchise Quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts, if he suddenly has more pressure to win more than one Super Bowl.

Of course that question had to come up this week, as the Colts prepare for Peyton Manning's return to Indianapolis -- with the reminder from team owner Jim Irsay that the legendary quarterback won only one Super Bowl with the franchise.

Luck laughed.

"Everybody puts a little pressure on themselves to try and win," Luck said during a mid-week conference call with Denver media. "I think it would be great to win multiple Super Bowls, but we know it's a long way to go until then.

"Honestly, I don't think about that, I'm thinking about hopefully trying to beat the Broncos."

Tough spot. Luck, in his second season with one one-and-done NFL playoff appearance on his resume, hasn't won a playoff game yet. But he's already being asked about a second Super Bowl crown.

This is what you get, kid, for being so good at Stanford that you're picked No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft.

As a bonus, you get to follow in Manning's footsteps.

The Colts are lucky to have him, pun and no pun intended.

Luck, who set the NFL's rookie passing record last year, is not the next No. 1 overall pick-turned-bust. It may be unfair that he's been compared to Manning long before this week. But there's no turning back now. That's life in the Big Midwest.

You'd rather be compared to Manning than, say, Ryan Leaf.

Still, when Irsay recently expressed his frustration to me that he didn't win more than one Super Bowl with Manning -- at the core, what's wrong with wanting to win more? -- it not only opened up some fresh wounds but etched the expectations in stone for Luck.

And for coach Chuck Pagano. And for GM Ryan Grigson.

But especially for Luck, given the comparison to P-Money.

"If you ask any player, they'd like to win one every year," said Luck, whose 4-2 team leads the AFC South. "If you play 15 years, you win 15 Super Bowls. That's what you want. You want high expectations."

Of course Manning, whom Luck saw as a role model growing up, did just about everything except win multiple Super Bowls during his 14 seasons with the Colts. He was the driving force and consummate leader for a franchise that won consistently, with eight division titles and 11 playoff berths. With what Irsay called "Star Wars" numbers, Manning set a slew of records and won four MVP trophies.

And without that extended success while Manning led the Colts, you can make a strong argument that they would not have had the momentum to build Lucas Oil Stadium.

Now, be the next guy after that.

Pagano, the second-year coach, insists that he's never even had a single discussion with Luck about following Manning.

That in itself says something.

"Never had to with Andrew," Pagano said. "We all know how Andrew is wired and how he is. We never went down that road."

Pagano likes to say that Luck, 24, is mature beyond his years.

It may take that plus success on the field to neutralize the pressure that Luck will likely feel to varying degrees -- internally and externally -- as his career progresses.

Reggie Wayne, now the longest-tenured Colt, praised Luck for being the first one to show up at the Colts headquarters ... and the last one to leave.

Wayne didn't say it, but that sounds a lot like Manning.

"He's doing it like the first pick of the draft should do," Wayne said. "He's taking it in stride."

Maybe Luck's ability to cope hinges on being in the moment. While the outside world weighs in with comparisons and expectations, and imagines the pressures, someone still has to do the work.

So, what's Luck's advice for someone who has to succeed Manning?

"I think one, you don't have to go through it," he said. "I think I've realized it's an incredible privilege to be able to play quarterback in the NFL and I never viewed it as having to replace a legend."

That's his stock answer: Never saw it as replacing a legend. Must be a coping thing.

"I viewed it as what a great opportunity to play football and get paid to play quarterback," he said. "How cool is that?"

Almost too cool.

Other items to ponder as Week 7 rolls on:

Three intriguing story lines ...

Return of The Gronk. One glance at the red zone stats says it all about the absence of tight end Rob Gronkowski from the Patriots offense during the first six weeks of the season. New England heads into Sunday's game at the Jets ranked 30th in the NFL -- ahead of only Pittsburgh and Jacksonville -- for TD percentage inside the 20-yard line. The Patriots have scored nine TDs on 22 trips to the red zone (40.9%). Last year, they led the league with a 70% TD rate inside the 20. Provided that Gronkowski stays healthy -- he had back surgery and four procedures on his left forearm with the past 10 months -- that trend will tick upward for Tom Brady. Since Gronkowski entered the NFL in 2010, Brady has connected on 72% of his red zone passes to the tight end -- which is consistent with the rate all over the field. Buzz from New England suggests that Gronkowski has been dominating on the practice field. Now let's see how quickly that transfers to game day.

First one to 50? With first place in the NFC East on the line on Sunday at The Linc and both defenses trying to, well, find themselves, the conditions seem ripe for a shootout. Two weeks ago, the Cowboys (3-3) hung with Peyton Manning until the end. Now Tony Romo might be pressed to keep up with a Chip Kelly offense that is one of just four units in NFL history to post 400 yards in each of its first six games. Interestingly, Romo , whose hot start (14 TDs, 3 INTs) was marred by the late interception at Denver, probably won't be the most scrutinized quarterback on the field. The Eagles (3-3) could be on the verge of a quarterback controversy if Nick Foles continues to shine while subbing for an injured Michael Vick.

Freeman's fresh start. Kicked to the curb by the Bucs, Josh Freeman found a best-case alternative with the Vikings -- who quickly moved him to the front of the line, past Matt Cassel and Christian Ponder, for Monday night's game at the Giants. It's rather stunning that in two weeks, Freeman can advance from Greg Schiano's doghouse to his second starting assignment of the season at MetLife Stadium (the Bucs opened the season against the Jets.) It's unrealistic to think that Freeman has gained a full grasp of the offense, but the Vikings brain trust -- including coach Leslie Frazier, coordinator Bill Musgrave and GM Rick Spielman -- has surely managed to get a clue for how well he learns on the run as they can evaluate whether they have landed a potential long-term answer. Two things are working in Freeman's favor for his Vikings debut: 1) He faces a winless Giants team that is searching to find its once-dominant pass rush. 2) He can hand the ball off to Adrian Peterson. A big question, however, looms about Freeman's proficiency after he completed less than 50% of his passes in each of his starts this season.

Who's hot: Jamaal Charles. The multi-dimensional Chiefs running back leads the NFL with 775 yards from scrimmage, and his consistency puts him into some rare air. Charles is just the third player in NFL history to open a season with six consecutive games of at least 100 yards from scrimmage -- following O.J. Simpson (1975) and Jim Brown (1958). With 24.5 touches per game, he's on pace for 2,067 yards from scrimmage. Interestingly, while Charles is a major cog in Kansas City's unbeaten start (6-0), he hasn't had the long-distance runs that he's always been a threat to produce. He has just one rush for longer than 20 yards and his 4.2-yard average rush is more than a yard less per carry than his career mark (5.6). He's picked up the slack, though, in the passing game with 33 catches for 300 yards. He's on pace for 88 receptions. The yards could be tough to come by on Sunday, with the struggling Texans still bringing the NFL's No.1-ranking defense.

Pressure's on: Gary Kubiak. When the season began, the Texans were considered good enough to line up with the contenders to reach Super Bowl XLVIII. Now, with one pick-six after another and a plummet to 2-4, making the playoffs for a third consecutive season appears to be a real stretch. Making matters worse, Houston heads into Sunday's game at raucous Arrowhead Stadium with second-year quarterback Case Keenum drawing the start against undefeated Kansas City. Keenum, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent, wasn't even active for the first six games. But Kubiak has picked him over T.J. Yates -- who in relief last weekend extended the Texans' dubious mark with a pick-six for the fifth consecutive game. Kubiak is undoubtedly on the hot seat. Since starting 11-1 last season, the Texans are 4-8. Barring a quick turnaround the chorus calling for Kubiak's job -- which would probably include fans who cheered when Schaub was hurt last weekend -- will grow louder.

Rookie watch: Kiko Alonso. The Bills rookie middle linebacker is impressive enough as the inspiration for #LegendOfKiko Alonso -- a collection of urban myths posted by fans on Twitter. Among samplings this week: "Kiko decided the government can re-open." And: "Kiko finally reviewed Music City Miracle. God reverses final play." On the field, the second-round pick from Oregon is creating real-life havoc. Alonso, who has played on 100% of the Bills' 447 defensive snaps, heads into Sunday's game at Miami with an NFL-high 66 solo tackles. He's also tied for the league lead with four interceptions. There's still much work to be done for a 26th-ranked unit. But with Alonso -- who went tubing at Niagara Falls and called it a "lazy river" ride -- in tow, the Bills defense will soon rival #The'85BearsDefense.

Stomach for an upset: If Washington intends to repeat its exploits of last season -- when it started 3-6, then surged to the division crown -- Sunday presents an opportune time for a mood-altering performance when the Bears visit FedEx Field. Does Mike Shanahan's squad (1-4) even have a dramatic turnaround in it? Although the special teams were torched last weekend in Dallas, the defense has shown some signs of life. After ranking among the worst units in NFL history during the first two weeks of the season, Washington has allowed fewer than 300 yards in each of the past three games -- the first-such streak during the Shanahan era. Meanwhile, Robert Griffin III's package continues to expand. With more designed runs last week and a season-high 77 yards on 9 rushes, there was a hint of the pre-surgery RG3. Of course, there's no need to expose RG3 to needless body shots. But if the offense is ever going to re-establish the versatile mix that was so explosive last season -- Alfred Morris' downhill rushing, Griffin's read-option jaunts and a potent play-action passing game -- the threat that RG3 could run is essential to the rhythm. Chicago's defense is the best in the league at forcing turnovers, but with defensive tackle Henry Melton and middle linebacker D.J. Williams lost to season-ending injuries, it is vulnerable against the run.

Next man up: With Julio Jones lost for the season with foot surgery and Roddy White's streak of 133 consecutive games played ending as he misses the first contest of his career due to an ankle injury, the Falcons have to replace two of Matt Ryan's wideouts. Harry Douglas, a capable No. 3 target in recent years, will get an increased role. But the next two receivers in the rotation -- Kevin Cone and Drew Davis -- have a combined five career catches since both entered the NFL as undrafted free agents in 2011. Journeyman Brian Robiskie (son of the receivers coach, Terry) and Darius Johnson (just promoted from the practice squad) are even shorter on reps. With the winless Bucs visiting the Georgia Dome, Atlanta could find its best chances in the passing game will rest with two tight end formations featuring the indomitable Tony Gonzalez and Levine Toilolo, a huge, 6-foot, 8-inch target who is emerging as a fourth-round rookie from Stanford.

Stat's the fact: After carrying an NFL-longest streak of 44 consecutive games without a 100-yard rusher, the Packers have had three different running backs -- James Starks, Johnathan Franklin and Eddie Lacy -- crack triple digits in the past four games. Like that, they've added Ground Chuck to their menu.